NOTHING SAYS GREATNESS LIKE AN INTOXICATED POLAR BEAR IN A TOP HAT BEING FED SUSHI. That’s the conclusion we came to as we brainstormed how to symbolize this city’s collective excellence. And if you hadn’t guessed (or read his fancy little ribbon), our cover model friend from the animal kingdom represents the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium, a champion yet again. But it was just one winner among many – this year’s 128 categories represent all the entertaining, delicious, exciting, irreplaceable things that make Columbus great. The best part of our annual ColumBest survey, of course, is you: the readers and voters who, over the past five years, have made this the greatest reader poll in the city. We asked, and 15,150 of you provided us with 372,844 votes, our biggest poll ever. Celebrate* the winners, though we’d recommend letting the bear rest. He’s a bit hungover. *let’s party together – join us for our annual columbest bash on Thursday, may 22, at union café in the short North.
INSIDE THE NUMBERS 64% 0.06%
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of all Best Shopping Center votes – EASTON
difference between first place and second – M at MIRANOVA over THE REFECTORY – Best “Price Is No Object” Restaurant
top-three finishes – NORTHSTAR CAFÉ, UNION CAFÉ top-three finishes – THE PINT HOUSE, LINDEY’S
ColumBest wins – NORTHSTAR CAFÉ
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shoPPiNg/serviCes Best loCal Clothing store hOMaGe
45.05% of 2,444 votes • American-made, Columbus ’Til I Die are the mantras metaphorically (or literally) emblazoned on every piece of HOMAGE gear that hitS shelves, helping the humble t-shirt become the default fashion staple of any true Columbusonian. Multiple locations, www.homage.com 2 tigertree 12.48%
3 thread oN graNdview 9.66%
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Best Shopping Center Easton Town Center
Best Furniture Store Grandview Mercantile
Best Clothing Thrift Store Ohio Thrift
Best Department Store Macy’s
64.19 % of 3,181 votes • Want to grab a bite? Go to Easton. Need some retail therapy? Go to Easton. Want to catch a movie? Go to Easton. Need a new car? Go to Easton. You get it? Just go to there. 160 Easton Town Center, www.easton towncenter.com 2 Polaris Fashion Place 18.89% 3 The Mall at Tuttle Crossing 8.27% Easton (AMC) Also Won:
Best Movie Theater 18.94%
of 3,315 votes 2 Gateway Film Center 15.63% 3 AMC Lennox 14.24%
21.41% of 2,256 votes • The keeneyed, style-savvy hunters flock to the Short North staple in search of a one-of-akind addition to their domestic mis en scene, from a rare Warhol changing through the doors, or the perfect little oak somethingor-other. Even more keen: keep an eye on items that stay on the floor for longer, and hope to snag them at a discounted price. 873 N High St., www.grandview mercantile.com
17.12% of 2,559 votes • Gucci, Armani, Vuitton: these are all things you’re unlikely to find at the thrift store. Whatever: go plaid with plaids. Get a weird old toaster. Forego packaging. Buy someone else’s prescription specs. Get funky, baby…get some funky stuff. Multiple locations, www.ohiothriftinc.com 2 Rag-O-Rama 16.1% 3 Goodwill 15.01%
29.88% of 2,868 votes • No matter your style, this is the perfect place for all your home and wardrobe needs. With a store at each of Columbus’s major malls, you’re never far from the magic of Macy’s. Multiple locations, www.macys.com 2 Nordstrom 28.66% 3 Kohl’s 25.66%
2 Value City Furniture 20.79% 3 Crate & Barrel 14.67%
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1 Best Place to Get Married/ Have a Commitment Ceremony Franklin Park Conservatory
33.69% of 2,140 votes • From the amazing outdoor gardens to the beautiful indoor habitats, this outstanding piece of Columbus history is a picturesque location for a wedding befitting a princess (or prince)! 1777 E Broad St., www.fpconservatory.com 2 The Boat House at Confluence Park 7.76% 3 Park of Roses 7.34%
Franklin Park Conservatory also won:
Best Local Place to Hold Your Reception
33.23% of 1,878 votes 2 Columbus Museum of Art 13.42% 3 Dock 580 10.49%
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Best Apartment Complex Clifton Park
Best Hotel Hilton Columbus Downtown
Best Bed & Breakfast German Village Guest House
43.96% of 2,607 votes • With an enchanting boulevard and luxurious interiors, Clifton Park is the complex for anyone wanting to live the luxury life. Featuring an on-site massage room and tanning salon, all your friends will be jealous. Or, at the very least, they’ll be over all the time. 5486 Thompson Rd., www. cliftonparkapts.com 2 Flats on Vine 11.78% 3 600 Goodale 6.79%
32.64% of 2,074 votes • Okay, Columbus. So you’re staying in a hotel in your own city – things are either going exceptionally well for you, or exceptionally poorly. Either way, the new and spectacular downtown Hilton really does have a lot to offer even locals, from its amazing collection of local art to its firstclass bar/restaurant. 401 N High St., www. hiltoncolumbusdowntown.com
2 Hilton Easton 15.0% 3 The Lofts 13.79%
35.19% of 1,256 votes • Quaint and charming – there are no two words that describe this B & B quite as well. Add the fact that it’s in one of the most beautiful historic districts in town and your staycation can become downright magical. 748 Jaeger St., www. gvguesthouse.com 2 Victorian Village Guest House 20.27% 3 Short North Bed & Breakfast 15.26%
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Best Fitness Center/gym yMca
14.03% of 2,581 votes • The original community fitness center pulls off a huge upset in a time when bigbox gyms rule the scene. In many ways, YMCA created the blueprint – weights, machines, pools, courts, fitness classes, and towel service. Multiple locations, www. ymcacolumbus.org 2 PlaNet fitNess 11.93% 3 rPaC, ohio state uNiversity 9.26%
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Best Columbus Employer The Ohio State University
36.1% of 2,579 votes • There are many renowned, celebrated aspects of OSU – from the Wexner Center to the Horseshoe to the Medical Center, but it’s the university’s role in the local workforce – both present and future – that gives it the most prominence in the community. www.osu.edu 2 Nationwide 13.92% 3 Limited Brands 12.68% The Ohio State University Also Won:
Best Hospital
30.28% of 2,721 votes 2 Riverside Methodist Hospital 26.57% 3 Nationwide Children’s Hospital 17.64%
Best Fitness Studio Yoga on High
21.97% of 1,625 votes • This isn’t your grandma’s yoga – although if your grandma did yoga, this would likely be the place you would take her in Columbus, a spot that caters to the traditional practices of Hatha, Ashtanga, and Vinyasa, and stilll nods to modern takes like Aerial and Pilates. Namaste! 1081 N High St., www.yogaonhigh.com
2 Pure Barre 17.6% 3 Sweat Box 8.98%
photo by dylan stanley
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Best plaCe to Bank chase
26.41% of 3,105 votes • It seems these days that there are as many Chase branches and ATMs on the streets of Columbus as there used to be payphones. Such ubiquity has made them the go-to money masters in the capital city. Multiple locations, www. chase.com
2 huNtiNgtoN BaNK 24.73% 3 PNC BaNK 11.47%
Best CaBle proviDer at&t u-verse
33.59% of 2,343 votes • The company that once urged us to “reach out and touch someone,” is now more than just a phone company, its reach expanded to wireless technology and cable TV, where they have excelled as the best in Columbus for two years in a row. www.att.com/shop/u-verse
Best Wireless proviDer verizOn wireless
59.37% of 2,582 votes • Can you hear me now? Apparently, Columbus can hear loud and clear. Could have something to do with the coverage area, or the recent innovations in smartphones…whatever the case, Verizon reigns supreme. Multiple locations, www.verizonwireless.com
2 wow! CaBle aNd iNterNet 24.03% 3 tiMe warNer CaBle 22.19%
2 at&t MoBility 21.57% 3 sPriNt 9.6%
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Best large groCery store krOGer
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23.44% of 3,877 votes • Whether you say it the regular way or the Ohio way (colloquially possessive, “Kroger’s” is still wrong), people have been hitting up the Cincinnati-based chain for more than a century. Now, with upgrades like the shiny new market-tropolis at King and High, there’s even more reason to go Krogering. Multiple locations, www.kroger.com 2 whole foods MarKet 22.69% 3 giaNt eagle 20.12%
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Best loCal groCery store nOrth Market
35.50% of 3,549 votes • Columbus’s only true bazaar, the North Market beckons residents with the wares of over 30 vendors, from artisanal cheese to international cuisine to that impossible-to-find gift. 59 spruce st., www.northmarket.com 2 the hills MarKet 15.47% 3 weilaNd’s gourMet MarKet 14.20%
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Best plaCe to Buy proDuCe whOle fOOds Market
24.41% of 3,162 votes • Whole Foods is paradise for home chefs (or even a Top Chef). It has fresh, organic versions of your favorite produce, plus exotic varieties you can’t find anywhere else. Buy, experiment, repeat. Multiple locations, www.whole foodsmarket.com 2 luCKy’s MarKet 13.35% 3 giaNt eagle 10.56%
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Best Meat Market/Butcher Carfagna’s
23.72% of 2,724 votes • Long an icon of Columbus carnivora, Carfagna’s is an old-style butcher shop with hand-cut meats, as well as classic Italian food and fare and an underrated produce selection. In business since 1937, Carfagna’s has also been your favorite every year this poll’s been conducted. Salud! 1405 E Dublin Granville Rd., www.carfagnas.com 2 The Andersons 13.18% 3 Whole Foods Market 10.46% Photos by: 1: Nora McDonald/WOSU, 3: Megan Leigh Barnard, 2 & 4: BEN YODER
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Best garDen shop/nursery Oakland nursery
48.17% of 2,155 votes • It’s that time of year again. Granted, you might need to pull your plow with a boat this soggy spring, but Oakland Nurseries, with four locations around the city, are perfectly positioned to help you get your seeds sown, your flowers blooming, and your garden gravid with fruits and vegetables! Multiple locations, www.oaklandnursery.com 2 strader’s 26.91% 3 BotaNiCa at fraNKliN ParK CoNservatory 10.58%
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Best JeWelry store diaMOnd cellar
26.07% of 2,010 votes • This store is another local gem, but it’s hardly hidden with its bounty of bling. And though everyone thinks of rings, check out the range of fashionable jewelry and watches from premier designers. Multiple locations, www.diamondcellar.com 2 tiffaNy & Co. 20.25% 3 worthiNgtoN Jewelers 14.88%
Best Florist Fifth Avenue Floral
15.82% of 1,966 votes • Fifth Avenue Floral knows there are plenty of occasions other than Valentine’s Day to gift flowers. Whether for a wedding, anniversary, or just to say thanks, this shop has the floral arrangement for you. 1877 Kenny Rd., www.5thavefloral.com 2 Connell’s Maple Lee 15.06% 3 Flowerama 14.39%
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Best Dry Cleaners swan cleaners
25.94% of 1,727 votes • This issue is heavy with food and drink, and after indulging in C-bus’s finest, you’ll need a solution for the resulting stains. Enter Swan: breathing new life into spilled-upon blouses and trousers. Multiple locations, www.swan cleaners.com 2 $1.99 CleaNers 14.94% 3 CallaNder CleaNiNg CoMPaNy 11.81%
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Best Spa/Salon Charles Penzone Grand Salons
14.78% of 2,611 votes • Feel and look your very best with the Grand Salons – from head to toe, services range in price based on the level of your stylist, so there’s no need to break the bank. Multiple locations, www. charlespenzone.com
2 Kenneth’s Hair Salons and Day Spas 13.29% 3 Salon Lofts 10.72%
Best Place to get a Massage Massage Envy Spa
33.1% of 1,879 votes • No matter your stress level, Massage Envy can help you on your way to much-needed relaxation – even if you don’t know why it’s named after the Swedes or what they do with those hot stones. Multiple locations, www.massageenvy.com 2 Charles Penzone Grand Salons 17.03% 3 Woodhouse Day Spa 11.71% photo by BEN YODER
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Best tattoo parlor evOlved
31.53% of 1,960 votes • Whether you want two extra holes in your body for the price of one (on Thursdays only) or are looking to add a mural to your epidermis, Evolved’s artists are your dudes and dudettes. 1881 N high st., www.evolvedbodyart.com 2 short North tattoo 14.69% 3 staiNed sKiN 13.93%
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photos by: opposite top: chris casella opposite bottom: david heasley
Best Barbershop The Mug and Brush
24.28% of 1,466 votes • Go get your whiskers trimmed, your ears lowered, your Lay-Rite on! This campus-area barber brings a hip new look to the classic barbershop but remember, it’s old-school: no plastic. 2433 N High St., www.themugandbrush.com 2 Old Familiar 23.74% 3 Longview Barbershop 12.01%
Best Pet Store PetSmart
31.55% of 2,238 votes • Get your furry friend trained, groomed, and treated, or pick up some pet furniture to make your cat hate you a little less – be honest, every little thing helps. Multiple locations, www.petsmart.com 2 PetPeople 24.13% 3 Three Dog Bakery 16.4%
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Best BiCyCle store rOll:
23.15% of 1,905 votes • Have you been driving around Cbus lately, wondering where the hell all these cyclists suddenly came from? Well, you can thank roll:, the city’s best option for anyone from first-timers to road warriors, meeting all your two-wheeled needs, now in three Central Ohio locations. Multiple locations, www.roll-online.com 2 Paradise garage 19.21% 3 BiKesourCe 14.96%
Best neW Car Dealer GerMain
23.19% of 1,785 votes • Whether you want an ecofriendly Smartcar, a sleek and economical Fusion or Accord, or an eye-turning rocketship like the Mercedes CL Coupe, Germain is in a class all its own. Multiple locations, www.germain.com 2 roush hoNda 16.75% 3 Byers auto grouP 16.36%
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Best Cab Company Yellow Cab
25.52% of 1,838 votes • Newcomer to the scene Uber gave the tried-and-true classic a run for its money this year, but the familiar yellow sedan retained the top spot again. Whether you need a lift to the airport or found yourself in outerspace at the bar, call Yellow Cab! www.yellowcabofcolumbus.com 2 Uber 24.48%
3 German Village Taxi 17.03%
Best Alternative Transportation COTA 25.31% of 2,007 votes • It’s too bad y’all weren’t more creative when you sat down to vote for this, because it’s kind of obvious that the best form of alternative transportation is an angry water buffalo. Good job, buses…we all hope you grow up to be a train. www.cota.com 2 car2go Columbus 21.97%
3 Uber 18.34%
photos by: opposite top: chris casella opposite bottom: ben yoder top: bryan fenstermacher bottom: megan leigh barnard
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